Here's a laugh for you, well, I thought it was funny: in that sad, pathetic way of course....


text from Yahoo:

The Porsche 917 Le Mans race cars weren't just stars on the track, where they led Porsche to its first wins at Le Mans; they also made Steve McQueen's film of the race a masterpiece. One of the drivers injured in that race let a journalist take his personal 917 back on the track — and then sued him when the car engine failed. The journalist's new job: Finding a way to pay $174,000 in damages and legal costs.


British journalist Mark Hales arranged with retired racer and collector David Piper to drive his original Porsche 917 around a British race circuit against a similar vintage Ferrari car in April 2009 as part of a magazine photo shoot. Such events happen all the time; the old car's owner gets publicity for his ride, and the writer or magazine gets exclusive, and sometimes incredible, shots of antique machinery at full wail.

Despite the value of the machinery involved — Piper's green 917 pictured above was worth $2 million — deals like this one typically go off with nothing more than a handshake. Hales was an experienced race driver himself and familiar with older race cars, and every race of historic machines features pits full of mechanics wrenching away on parts that finally broke after a few decades of wear. He also paid Piper $3,200 for the use of the 917.

But Piper claimed in a British court that Hales had agreed to keep the finicky 12-cylinder boxer engine in the 917 under 7,000 revs, and that instead Hales over-revved the engine to 8,200 rpms, blowing it. Hales argued the gearbox in the 917 had mis-shifted, and that Piper had verbally agreed to cover any damages from the track session.

Last week, the court found for Piper, ordering Hales to pay not just the $74,000 in damages but some $100,000 in costs and fees as well. Hales now says he will probably lose his home and go into bankruptcy if the order stands up. British auto enthusiasts have set up a donation fund for Hales, and pressured Piper to throw the entire affair into reverse.

 

I. DISLIKE. LAWYERS.

 

I like lawyers.

Based on the evidence, if the guy overrevved it, then he should pay for the damages. The extra $100k is silly.

When someone takes a high dollar vintage racer out, there should be a signed contract beforehand.

 

When running vintage cars it's luck of the draw. The journalist was unlucky. The owner is likely extremely wealthy and very petty ... IMO

 

Nice, green paperweight for now.

 

Yet another Porsche engine failure mode: Let a journalist drive your Porsche.

 

thats why you sign a contract, prevents the issue of luck.

Wealthy or not, if someone lunches the motor in your rare race car because he overrevved it, then you have every right to demand compensation. If the owner said he would pay for any damages regardless, different story.

 

During the international press launch for the Carrera GT 2engines were "blown" with rpm's exceeding 10,000.

 

Yeah, but you know Porsche, or any manufacturer for that matter, isn't going to raise much of a fuss with a journalist for fear of bad press.

 

If you let someone drive your vintage car on a track without a contact you not smart. I can hear the discussion

Owner - you over revved the engine
Journalist - No I didn't
Owner - you did
Journalist - I didn't

Do you see my point?

 

Chris Harris has blogged about this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=26990

 

agreed, that said, usually cars like that have a max rev needle on the tach, which helps to clear that up.

 

From the telegraph article Hales claims "there was an inherent and pre-existing mechanical fault in the gear box so that the gears didn't properly lock and engage and slipped out of gear"

 

Yes this is usually the case. I used to manage logistics & test driving for Porsche's So.CA press fleet as well as other brands. Oh the story's I could tell... New Hummer H1 rolled & totaled on it's maiden voyage, Jaguar with PSM totaled into a wall on the 1st day of it's Car of the Year testing, Motor Trend refusing to name the driver.

 

I believe he signed up to a 'You Bend it . . . . . You Mend it' agreement.